Ghana AFCON 2017 team guide: tactics, key players and predictions

Ghana haven’t won in five matches against winnable opposition, which has put pressure on their head coach Avram Grant. There have been rumours of the Ghana Football Association meeting to discuss his future, though his hefty contract seems to have left the two parties anchored to each other, at least until the end of the tournament. It’s a huge contrast in comparison to February 2015, when he was being praised for getting the Black Stars to the final after only being with the team for a month.

Placed in arguably the easiest qualifying group, Ghana qualified comfortably but didn’t look impressive at all – their sheer quality was enough to overcome their opponents. After being credited with turning around the team’s fortunes before the last tournament in very little time, the side don’t look better drilled than they did two years ago, even though Grant has had more time with the team.

Asamoah Gyan, the Black Stars’ all-time leading goal-scorer, has had fitness concerns and only just recently turned for Al Ahli. He’s unlikely to have full match sharpness to cope with the busy AFCON schedule, which is not good for Ghana as they are heavily reliant on the 31-year-old.

The System

Assuming all available players are fit, Ghana should set up in a 4-4-2. Razak Brimah is the man in between the posts. Abdul Baba Rahman, Daniel Amartey, Jonathan Mensah and Harrison Afful will make up the back four. Though Afriyie Acquah has partnered Mubarak Wakaso in midfield for most games, Thomas Partey started in Ghana’s last game against Egypt, so he’s a good bet to start against Uganda. Andre Ayew and Christian Atsu will play on the left and right flank, respectively, with Gyan and Jordan Ayew forming a strike pair.

Wakaso, normally a winger at Panathinaikos, becomes a deep-lying playmaker for the Black Stars. Taking a speedy, sometimes erratic, winger who is yellow card machine and putting him in front of a fragile defence is a peculiar decision but Grant will almost certainly utilise him there. Andre Ayew will roam inside and look to attack balls that come in from the right wing in the box. In Jordan Ayew and Gyan, Ghana have two target men who like to do the same thing, meaning the side is somewhat disjointed. The team will rely on individual brilliance.

Strengths

Experience – Ghana have a fairly settled and experienced squad headed by Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew. Gyan, Andre Ayew, and Christian Atsu have all produced special moments in key games over the years. Wakaso and Jordan Ayew can also chip in with goals. In Samuel Tetteh and Frank Acheampong there’s pace in abundance on the bench if needed.

Weaknesses

Unclear strategy – There is no real defensive strategy. There is little evidence of an organised pressing system and when the team are forced to sit deep they are extremely reactive. Against a below average Russia side in a recent friendly, they were opened up time and time again on the counter attack and then set in a deep block. This may not be an issue in the group stages but if they get past the round robin, they may have issues against better sides. There’s also minimal creativity in the middle. Wakaso isn’t really a playmaker and Jordan Ayew isn’t suited to his shadow striker role in the team.

Key Player

Asamoah Gyan – The Al-Ahli man is the main source of goals in this team. As he’s aged he has become less of an all-action player and more of a fox in the box. Ghana can struggle to move the ball forward intelligently and will look to play him in behind early or ask him to hold the ball up and wait for onrushing support.

The Hipster’s Choice

Thomas Partey – Bar injured Sassuolo midfielder Alfred Duncan, Partey is the best midfielder with his ball at his feet in Kwadwo Asamoah’s absence. The 23-year-old has only made four appearances from the bench for a strong Atletico Madrid side this season, but he offers the composure in midfield that Ghana lack.

The Coach

Avram Grant – After a good start to his Ghana career, Avram Grant is under pressure. He’s only lost two competitive games in charge of the Black Stars but for a man on his salary you expect some actual progression. His contract runs out after the tournament and as the man appears to be perpetually lucky, don’t be surprised if it ends with triumph.

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I’m Alex Kwamina Ninson. I once was hired by Osam Duodu, may his soul rest in peace as his foreign based player assessor during Mali 2002, I have hosted the Black Queens here in the U.S. in the past, and I was the one who introduced Robert Sackey, former Black Queens coach to the GFA.

I’m a little perplexed by the selection of Jordan Ayew, and was wondering if either Grant or the FA could answer my questions regarding his selection.

So what criteria was used by Grant in selecting a player like Jordan Ayew? Was any statistical analysis done on him before his selection? I ask this because I can’t for the life of me believe a player with his horrendous, actually beyond horrible statistical numbers could be selected for a national team. Here’s a second division bench player, whose strike rate for Aston Villa this year in 17 games, is an abysmal 0.176 goals per game. His numbers are so bad that Steve Bruce won’t allow him to come off the bench to play against the team sitting in 19th place in D2 ( Cardiff). His strike rate for the Stars in 43 games is 0.255 per game. Subtract penalty goals and weak performance index goals from his tally, and his goals per game for the Stars inches closer to his Aston Villa numbers. Additionally, Jordan hasn’t scored a tier one or two goal for the Stars in six years. Are these the numbers that were used to justify his inclusion? Below are questions for Grant and indeed the FA to answer regarding Jordan’s output:

1. Goals versus 1st tier teams. Can you provide his strike rate?
2. Goals versus 2nd tier teams. Can you provide his strike rate?
3. Goals versus 3rd tier teams. Can you provide his strike rate?
4. Goals scored in friendlies. Can you provide his strike rate ?
5. How many times did he score whether the Stars won or lost in 1-0, 1-1, 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, or 4-4 games?
6. How many goals has he scored with his head, and from a distance of eighteen yards or beyond.